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The Motorcycle Intelligence community represents a global repository of knowledge and experience from highly skilled riders, as well as humorous and/or offbeat insights from others who are not. If you have some value to contribute to the community, please do. Otherwise, take a peek into the articles and especially the comments after each article (that's where it's at). For the full experience, sign up for the dreaded newsletter. It starts out mellow and then gets whacky. You may not be able to bear it.
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Latest Articles

WOMEN HAVE BEEN RIDING MOTORCYCLES FOR A LONG TIME. But in the last decade or two, I have observed many more female riders on the road than I had observed in earlier decades. And that’s not only here in California, but also on roads across North America. But what I haven’t observed are crazy female[…]

GOOD AIR FILTERS SUCK THE MOST. You don’t need to be a mechanic to respect the necessity for a clean air filter to remove dirt before it gets into your motorcycle engine’s cylinders. If small airborne particles, including dirt, dust, bugs and your significant other’s frayed denim can find its way into your engine, such[…]

HE SAID HE WAS TOO OLD TO RIDE. So, now, he and his wife were traveling on a trike. We met at a gas station and talked for a while, before we each headed back out on the road in different directions as part of our separate multi-day rides and they sure looked like they[…]

INCREASE YOUR LUGGAGE CAPACITY AND HEAD OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. Motorcycle saddlebags represent the easiest way to increase your bike’s storage capacity. Tankbags (that sit on your gas tank) are even easier to add and remove, but most do not have the storage capacity of saddle bags. (However, there are some tankbags that are HUGE).[…]

IN A FAIR WORLD WE’D HAVE JUST LAWS, HONEST POLITICIANS, NO WARS AND I’D ALREADY BE DEAD. I admire new motorcycle riders. It reminds me of the exuberance that infected me about motorized two-wheeled vehicles before I was a teenager. I can’t help but smile when I think of that era, which seems like another[…]

May 17, 2015: I HATE IT WHEN WEBSITES CHANGE! Well, actually, that’s a strong statement. Personally, I don’t hate it when websites get updated, but I’m not usually overjoyed. However, I have heard from a number of other people in the past who want me to know that THEY hate it when websites change! Anyway,[…]

DO YOU WEAR PURPLE MOTORCYCLE CHAPS? In the biker community, particularly among cruisers, not everyone can pull off this color with grace and dignity, especially if they should be desiring to reflect the most traditional of motorcycle fashions. As a side note, it could be argued that even though women have been riding motorcycles for[…]

HOW DO YOU, PERSONALLY, DEAL WITH THE RISKS OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING? Do you think it’s bad karma to talk about motorcycle crashes? Do you even contemplate the possibility that you might get killed riding? Or do you simply not think about it at all? Yes, I have my own opinions on the matter, as you[…]

“I NEED A MOTORCYCLE THAT CAN HANDLE BIG-ROAD TRAFFIC.” A reader asked me the above question (in the subject line). She has already been riding two other bikes, so this wouldn’t be her first. My answer comprises the rest of this post, but I’d be more interested in your views of how to select a[…]

DO YOU ATTEND MOTORCYCLE SHOWS? WHY OR WHY NOT? (Scroll down to “Leave a Reply.”) Personally, for many years, I did “not” go to motorcycle shows or events. I wouldn’t say that I was opposed to them, or that I wouldn’t even have been interested if I somehow managed to find myself at one. It’s[…]

I’VE BEEN SAYING TO MYSELF FOR YEARS I WOULD NOT WRITE ABOUT THE MOTORCYCLE “WAVE.” On the one hand – at least in North America – it’s a fine symbol of the brotherhood experienced by riders of all ages, races, religions, creeds, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. On the other hand, it can be tiring in areas[…]

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DROP YOUR MOTORCYCLE? I don’t mean crash it, although that would certainly be a pertinent answer. In this instance, I simply mean dropping it while you’ve stopped, or while riding very slowly. One example would be pulling up to a stop sign and putting your foot down on some loose sand,[…]

FELLOW MOTORCYCLISTS GET SMASHED ON THE PAVEMENT EVERY DAY. And many live to tell about it. This morning I learned that one of my neighbors, a young 21-year-old rider, has been in the hospital for several days and is expected to remain there for another 2 weeks, before he can go home for a projected[…]

OVER THE YEARS I’VE DEVELOPED MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT GROUP RIDING. Although most of my weekend excursions and long-distance tours have been on one bike (with and without a passenger), I’ve enjoyed a number of trips with a second bike/rider and sometimes a total of three (such as this weekend in Death Valley National Park –[…]

MOTORCYCLISTS ARE A MINORITY ON THE ROAD. And amongst the majority of motorists who view motorcycles from inside their cars, there seems to be a few stereotypes accorded those of us on two wheels. What stereotypes have you been labeled? But first, let’s visit the dictionary. Stereotype from the American Heritage Dictionary is defined as[…]